Interview with a 44 years old man who has been an alcoholic all his grown-up life.

1. When did you start drinking?
The first time I ever got drunk was when I was 12 years old.

2. What made you keep on drinking?
It was fun in the beginning. I went to many parties and I had a lot of fun. One thought that one was stronger than the alcohol.

3. How many times have you been drinking and driving?
I do not know. There have been times when I have been drinking for 2-3 weeks in a row and my memory is not that good from those times. All I know is that I went into a car and took off. You do not care whether you are drunk or not.

4. Why did you drive?    
It is the fastest form of transportation, cheaper than a taxi and you do not want to go by bus.

5. What happened?    
Most of the times I have been getting away with no damages. I have smashed my car ones. If anything would happen you escape very fast, the only thing that matters is to get away from the police. You do not care that you can hurt anybody else, as long as you are in "good health". The one time I had an accident would probably not occured if my car would have had brakes. But I did not think about that when I drove.

6. What happened, did the police get you?.    
When I smashed my car the police did arrive. They took my drivers licence and I went to prison. Got Charged for drinking and driving, I could chose between a fine and prison, you are always broke when you are an alcoholic.

7. Did you change after doing your time in prison?
When I got out I did it all over again. Doing time in does not help, it is just a place you live in for a while and then you go out and star doing the same again. You do not get help, just do your time and then out again as fast as possible.

8. Did you ever think that you could hurt somebody?
I never cared about that. When you are drunk you do not care if you hurt yourself or anybody else, you just want to hide from the police. Neither before, during the time you drive or after you think that you could hurt anybody, you just get very upset if the car brakes, that means money to repair the car and you can not use the car for a while. You think that you are able to do whatever you you want. You are drunk and think, restaurant, car, fastest way to get there. But that it takes time to get to the car and you have trouble to get into the car does not matter, you know it is the best.

9. How much alcohol had you been drinking before your accident?
I had 4,3(promille).

10. Is prison a good punishment?
I do not think so, high fines gives better result. You do not care if You have to go to prison. You get food and you can earn some money.

11. What makes you keep on drinking and drinking?
Your body demands alcohol. You feel miserable even if you are drunk or not, but you think it is little bit better when you are drunk.

12. You are sober now, what made you stop?
It was too much. First you drink one night then you have to drink the day after to kill the headache. It is good to take one beer the day after, but you have to know when to stop, an alcoholic can do this for one, two or weeks in a row, until the body says no and you sleep through the rush. I did not want to drink anymore because I was tired of the constant need of alcohol, besides my body says no after 20 years dependence. You started drinking and thought you were the hippest man in town, after a while you had to drink to have fun, it became an evil force keeping you drinking. I lost a great family, wife and daughter. You are very selfish, the only thing on your mind is how to get money for another drink. you are very good at finding money, you do not respect the house keeping allowance or the rules, fast money and much money at one time.

13. Do you have any advice to young people?
You have to watch your back all the time, the line between an alcoholic or not is very hazy. It takes a long time to fin out that you drink too much. You think that everybody else in your age drink as much as you do, but that is not the way, do not forget that you do not drink with the same people every time and the do not drink as much as you do. You think life is great until the day when you wake up and do not want anything else for breakfast the alcohol.

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